Fast Nichts

Schmuck und Gefäße von Ulla und Martin Kaufmann

Seit nahezu fünfzig Jahren kreieren Ulla und Martin Kaufmann Schmuck und Gerät: anfangs mit abstrakten Blütenformen, dann von der Formensprache her klassisch modern, in den letzten Jahrzehnten geprägt von der Auseinandersetzung mit der Bildhauerei etwa Richard Serras oder Eduardo Chillidas. Beide sind Gold- und Silberschmiede, gemeinsam haben sie seit 1970 ein Atelier in Hildesheim. Zentrale Rolle ihrer Arbeiten, mit teils überraschenden Formen, ist das geschmiedete Band. Außen-, Innen- und Freiräume ihrer Werke spielen stets mit Form und Funktion. Neben vielen Auszeichnungen erhielten Ulla und Martin Kaufmann zuletzt 2018 den Bayerischen Staatspreis für ihr Projekt »Kuben in Bewegung«. Die Ausstellung zeigt einen Querschnitt durch das reiche Schaffen des Paares.

Unter dem Titel »Fast nichts. Ulla + Martin Kaufmann« ein Buch erschienen, herausgegeben von Cornelie Holzach, 144 Seiten, 22,5 x 27,5 cm, Festeinband, ISBN 978-3-933924-24-7.

Als Ausstellung im Dialog zeigt Schütt – Schmuck & Edelsteine in seinen Räumlichkeiten gegenüber dem Museum vom 13. Juli bis zum 3. Oktober »Nur Blech – Ulla + Martin Kaufmann«. Die dort präsentierten Stücke sind käuflich zu erwerben.

13.07.2019 – 03.11.2019 Schmuckmuseum Profzheim, Pforzheim (D)

Silber. Schmiede. Kunst.

Mal glänzend, mall matt, mal bicolor, mal bunt. Mal soft in der Anmutung, mal kantig-klobig. So präsentieren sich 24 Silberobjekte, die im Rahmen des „Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018“ eingereicht wurden.

Gezeigt werden 24 großartige Objekte, die im Rahmen des Kunstwettbewerbs „Silver Award 2018“ eingereicht worden waren. Zu dem Wettbewerb aufgerufen hatte das niederländische Silbermuseum in Schoonhoven, einer europäischen Silberstadt. Das Museum prämiert seit 2010 alle zwei Jahre herausragende Werke – ganz aus Silber geschaffen.

“Policast” by Peter Bauhuis

Im Mittelpunkt des Silver Award steht nicht nur der Rohstoff, sondern auch der Erhalt traditioneller Handwerkstechniken. Silberschmiede und Designer aus aller Welt waren aufgefordert, neue künstlerische und technische Möglichkeiten zu erschließen. Beteiligt hatten sich Künstler u.a. aus Australien, Südkorea und den USA. Entstanden sind einzigartige Kunst-, aber auch Alltagsgegenstände aus Silber.

29.06.2019 – 06.10.2019 Stadt- und Bergbaumuseum Freiberg, Freiberg (D)

KircheKunst

Die aktuelle Ausgabe der Zeitschrift KircheKunst beschäftigt sich mit Silberschmieden im Bereich Vasa Sacra. Grundlage dazu war das HammerClub Treffen 2018 in Hanau.

A publication on contemporary church silver was published (unfortunately only in German).

Exemplare können für € 8,00 zuzüglich Versandkosten in der Redaktion: Pfarrer Markus Geißendörfer, Plancks. 8, D 63741 Aschaffenburg, Tel.: (0049)6021 87134, E-Mail: Markus.geissendoerfer@elkb.de bestellt werden.

A Sterling Renaissance

If you happen to visit San Francisco International Airport this spring, you can drop by in the SFO Museum. This museum presents an exhibition of British silver design 1957 – 2018.

During the postwar years, anyone looking to produce modern design looked to Scandinavia for inspiration, and British silversmiths were no exception. In the late 1950s, an American named Mrs. Lasky travelled to London to visit a friend. Wanting to see modern British silver, she visited the studio of Gerald Benney (1930–2008). Upon viewing his stock items, Mrs. Lasky proclaimed they were not British, but Scandinavian. Shaken by the charge that he was following the Bauhaus School, Benney set out with four or five others to create a distinctively English silver that was “rugged, solid, and functional, but at the same time modern.”

Today, Britain continues to provide the expertise and creative environment that nurtures home-grown talent and attracts student silversmiths from around the world who bring a diversity of influences to British silver design. The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths’ Company, plays a significant role in this ongoing development through patronage, educational programs, and training offered at its Goldsmiths’ Centre in London. So too does Edinburgh’s Incorporation of Goldsmiths, which promotes education within the trade and encourages patronage through its annual festival and purchasing exhibition.

06.10.2018 – 12.05.2019 San Francisco International Airport, International Terminal, Departures – Level 3 – Pre-Security

Goldsmiths North

Goldsmiths North is a new show set to take place in July 2019 in the North of England. It will provide a new and specifically tailored selling platform to skilled and innovative creative businesses within the precious metals sector. It will be a national/international event – a retail selling fair bringing the best of designer jewellery and silversmithing from the UK and Europe to the north of England.
Goldsmiths North intends to showcase the work of approximately 60 individual designers and craftsmen. Applications to exhibit will be invited from both jewellers and silversmiths and a jury of local and national experts will be convened to select the best and most professional work.
It is intended that those chosen will be representative of the best work currently being designed and made across the UK. In addition it is intended that up to 20% of the exhibitors will be from outside the UK, providing an opportunity for exhibitors and visitors alike to see as wide a range of work as possible.
Exhibitors will be professional designers and/or craftsmen. They will be required to be present at their stand during the Fair’s opening hours, creating a ‘meet the maker’ environment for the visitors.

Applications are NOW OPEN, with a deadline at midnight 20th December 2018. If you would like to apply for a stand at Goldsmiths North, please submit the online form on the website: www.goldsmithsnorth.com.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact email:
info@goldsmithsnorth.com.

Interview with Miriam Hanid

For its “December’s Maker in Focus” interview, the London Craft Week spoke to artist and silversmith Miriam Hanid about her progression from 2D to 3D, how the essence of movement in water inspires her practice and the value of craft in creating shared experiences.

To read the full interview click here.

Award in Schoonhoven (NL)

Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018
During the opening of the exhibition the prize winners of the Schoonhoven Silver Awards were announced. The 1st prize Schoonhoven Silver Award was for Peter Bauhuis from Munich won the Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018 with his object “Policast”. Gallery owner and silversmith Paul Derrez received the prize on behalf of Bauhuis.
For the first time in the history of the Schoonhoven Silver Award, a Young Professional Award has been presented for participants under the age of 30. Sheng Zhang won this Award with “Inside out” that was made possible by Zadkine and Vakschool Schoonhoven.
An honorable mention was for David Huycke and the encouragement prize Young Professionals for Oscar Saurin. Both received a kilo of silver donated by Herens & Herens.

“Policast” by Peter Bauhuis

The jury about the winner
The jury, consisting of Angela Cork, Jeroen Martens, Jan Matthesius, says about the winning object “Policast” by Peter Bauhuis: “Peter Bauhuis has perfected his art using one of the oldest techniques, the lost wax technique. He demonstrates a great understanding of the process and of working with different alloys to extend the limits of what can be achieved in silver as a form. The result is poetic and discussion topic for discussion. The design is on the one hand beautifully raw, unfinished and reminds us of archaeological finds. On the other hand, it embraces a very modern look with clear attention to the shape and the square parts of the shape. An inspiring piece in everything.”

Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018
With the 7th edition of the Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018 the Silver Museum wants to challenge silversmiths, designers and visual artists at artistic and technical level. This year the most important criteria for the competition were: challenging the contemporary silversmith on an artistic and technical level, innovating older, traditional silversmithing techniques to preserve the heritage and inject new life and innovation into the profession. The judges also sought inspirational work that will encourage debate, discussion and research among silversmiths to meet a promising and prosperous future.
The Schoonhoven Silver Award is an initiative of the ‘Stichting Zilverkunst’ (Silver Art Foundation). Since its inception in 2001 the Award has had six winners. The Award’s most recent editions have been dedicated to promoting contemporary ‘great, silver art’ to a broader, art-minded audience, with the emphasis on innovative silver concepts. The Schoonhoven Silver Award 2018 continues to be devoted to the goal of reaching a wider audience and inspiring artists to test and explore the boundaries of their traditional art and craft.

After the exhibition in Schoonhoven, the objects will be on show in the international traveling exhibition.

07.12.2018 – 01.05.2019 Nederlands Zilvermuseum, Schoonhoven (NL)